Spanish program students explore Hispanic heritage through performance and food

Written by sophomore Evan McMullenSpanish Honor Society

Students in Spanish Honor Society organized a trip to see “Ché Malambo,” at Penn State. The show consisted of an all-male Argentinian dance ensemble who performed using drums, tap dancing and ropes.

The Spanish Honor Society thought going to the show would be a perfect way for students in the Spanish language program to explore a different culture, and observe different forms of music and art.

Upon arrival, students were taken to a colossal room filled with an enormous stage, bright lights and immense black curtains. Dancers went on stage from left to right, each performing their own unique routines.

At first, the dancers were using drums while the tap dancers performed to the beat of the music. As time progressed, the tap dancers told a story through their performance, and eventually used elongated ropes with hard balls at the end of each side of the rope to make a sound like that of tap shoes. They swung the ropes in circles and whipped them around to make it seem as if they were going to hit themselves, and even did a coordinated dance that provided suspense and amusing visual aspects.

When the show was finished, the members of Spanish Honor Society went to Penn State’s Berkey Creamery for a treat followed by lunch at Rey Azteca on Benner Pike where they could interact with other Spanish-speaking people, observe different Spanish dishes and use their Spanish knowledge to help order food and drink.

Overall, the trip was very successful as students could promote the Spanish language, explore a different culture by watching Ché Malambo and go to an authentic restaurant to discover some new dishes.